Slip clutch



1953 A.-E. YOUNG 2,657,557

SLIP CLUTCH Original Filed July 25, 1946 Sheets-Sheet 1 FlG.l

INVENTOR AUSTIN YOUNG TTORNE YS Nov. 3,1953 A. E. YOUNG 2,657,557

SLIP CLUTCH Original Filed July 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov.3, 1953 SLIP CLUTCH Austin E. Young, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Deere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporation of IllinoisContinuation of application Serial- No. 686,187, July 25, 1946. Thisapplication August 10, 1951, Serial No. 241,296

. 1 This application is a continuation of my copending application,Serial No. 686,187, filed July 25, 1946, now abandoned.

The present invention relatesgenerally to agricultural implements andmore particularly to slip clutches employed to take care of abnormal Theobject and general nature of the present invention is the provision of anew and improved slip clutch structure of the friction type. Moreparticularly, it is an important feature of this invention to provide aslip clutch structure in which a resilient rubber-like collar isemployed as the resilient element yieldably holding the friction membersin normally engaged driving relation, and more specifically, it is afeature of this'invention to provide a resilient rubberlike collararranged to be compressed for not only holding the clutch elements inengagement and accommodate their slipping but, additionally, to providenew and improved sealing means for retaining lubricant between therelatively rotatable parts.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a new and improvedslip clutch of the friction typewherein the heat generated duringslipping is readily dissipated.

- "'In the drawings: Figure 1 is a generally longitudinal verticalsection taken through a slip clutch construction in'which' theprinciples of the present invention have been incorporated.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view ofone part of the friction clutch.

As shown in Figure 1, the slip clutch construction, indicated in itsentirety by the reference numeral I, serves to connect a driving shaft 2with a driven shaft 3, although it will be understood that the lattershaft may be the driving shaft and shaft 2 the driven shaft, wheredesired. The driving shaft 2 at its inner end isthreaded, as at 5, andprovided with a keyway 6, the inner end of the shaft receiving a clutchcone member 1 'having'an outer generally conical surface 8. The outersurface 8 is formed with a plurality of serrations 9 for a purpose whichwill be re- Claims. (CI. 64-30) overloads and prevent damage to parts ofthe implement.

ferred to in detail below. The member 1 is preferably formed as acasting and the serrated outer conical surface 8 is preferably used ascast so that no machining or the like is required. A key I!) isdisposablein the slot 6 and in a companion slot formed in the clutchcone member 1, for the purpose of locking the latter in position on theshaft 2.

Cooperating with the clutch cone member 1 is a clutch cup member l5having an inner friction surface I6 with a friction lining disposedbetween the surfaces 8 and H5. The lining need not be fastened to eitherof the members I and I5, yet all slippage takes place between the liningl1 and the surface I6, since the surface 8 is roughened, causing thelining to always rotate with the inner member. Thus, most of the heat isgenerated, during slippage, in the cup member l5. The latter member hasfins l8 which, being on the outside, readily dissipate the heatgenerated so that the inner conical member 1 remains comparatively cool,the lining [1 serving as insulation therefor.

Also, the efliciency of the clutch is increased since the slippage takesplace on the larger outside diameter of the lining I1, rather I than onthe smaller inside diameter.

The clutch cup member I5 is notched, as at 2|, to receive the adjacentportions of a yoke member 22. The latter member is provided with acentral hub section 23 mounted for rotation on the shaft 2 just behindthe clutch cup member l5. The member 23 also includes yoke arms 25 whichterminate in apertured ends receiving a pairof bearing members 26 inwhich the arms 3 8 of a universal joint spider 27 is mounted for rockingmovement. The spider 21 has a second pair of arms receiving similarbearings carried by arms 28 that form a part of or are connected to theshaft 3. v

An abutment member 3!! is fixed to the shaft 2 in spaced relation withrespect to the yoke member 22 and preferably comprises two parts,

one including a central sleeve section 3| and the other an adjustablering 32, the axial position of which, relative to the sleeve section 3|,may be varied by turning the collar 32 so as to bring selected notches33 into a position to embrace either or both of the set screws 34 and35. v

A thrust collar 4| is mounted for rotation on the hub portion 23 of theyoke member 22, and

a similar thrust collar 42 is mounted for rotation on theabutment-member 30. Each of these c'ollars 4| and 42 is provided with arib 45 facing axially inwardly, and a resilient collar 46 formedof'rubber-like material is disposed between the thrust collars 41 and 42in a compressed state. The member 46 thus acts as a resilient elementagainst the collar 42 and yoke 22 to press the clutch cup against thecooperating clutch cone 1 for frictionally connecting them together sothat as the shaft 2 is rotated the yoke member 22 andthe shaft 3 arealso rotated in consequence thereof. In the event of an overload, one ofthe elements slips with respect to the other but without requiringappreciable axial displacement of the yoke member 22.

Each of the thrust collars M and 42 is provided with a lubricantfitting, 5% extending into an opening in the associated collar toreceive it, thus forming a lubricant zone indicated in the drawing byreference characters Zl and Z2, respectively. Lubricant in the zone 21serves to lubricate the bearing surfaces on the shaft 2 and hub section23 of the yoke 22, and also the bearing surfaces on the hub 23 and thethrust collar 4!. Lubricant in zone Z2 serves to lubricate the bearingsurfaces-on the thrust collar .2 and the adjacent portions of theabutment 3t receiving the collar Preferably, the member at is nor-.mally compressed, by adjusting the collar 42,

and/or adjusting the clutch cone member 1 on the inner end of the shaft2, so that the material of the resilient ring 4 3 is pressed not onlyagainst the inner faces of the thrust rings it and 42 but also firmlyagainst the portions of the shaft 2 between the thrust collars 4i and42. Thus, the resilient member as separates the two lubricant zones 21-and Z2. and, additionally, serves to prevent any loss of lubricant fromthe zone Zi outwardly along the shaft 2. It will be understood that whenan overload occurs and the yoke member 32 slips relative to the shaft 2,relative rota tion between the hub 22% of the yoke member 22 and thethrust collar 4| takes place and it is therefore important to providemeans for maintaining adequate lubrication between these parts. Relativemovement may also take place between the thrust collar. 42 and theabutment member 39 that is fixed to the shaft. Likewise, the member 46prevents leakage of lubricant from zone Z2 forwardly along the shaft 2.It will be understood that coarse adjustments of the amount ofcompression or force exerted by the resilient member filtmay be effectedby turning the collar 32 and that finer adjustments in the compressionof the member 48 may be effected by removing the key 9 and turning theclutch cone member 3 on the shaft 2. It will also be noted that theresilient compressible element 46 is spaced appreciably from thefriction elements l and !5 and is therefore protected from beingoverheated by any long continued slippage.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention may be incorporated, it is to beunderstood that my invention is not to be limited to the particulardetails shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely differentmeans may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of myinvention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a slip clutch construction, a shaft, afirst friction member fixedto the end of said shaft, a second friction member, a part carrying saidsecond friction member and mounted for rotation on said shaft, saidsecond friction member being disposed normally in frictional contactwith said first friction member, said part having a hub portion, agenerally cylindrical collar having a radially inner surface mounted forrotation on the hub portion of said part and having bearing contacttherewith so as to accommodate rotation of said part relative thereto, alubricant fitting carried by said collar for supplying lubricant to saidcontacting surfaces; an: abutment on said shaft, and! a resilientrubber-likep'art compressed between said abutment and collar andbearing, by virtue of said compression, against said shaft adjacent thezone of contact of said part with the shaft, so as to cooperate withsaid collar to prevent loss of lubricant from said contacting bearingsurfaces.

2.- A slip clutchfor connecting two shafts or the like, comprising apair of friction elements, including a clutch cone fixed to one end ofone shaft and aclutch cup embracing said clutch cone and rotatablymounted on said shaft, a yoke member having an apertured hub portionembracing said one shaft: at the side of said clutch cup opposite saidclutch cone, said yoke member having arms embracing said clutch cup andclutch cone, said arms beingdisposed relatively closely adjacent saidclutch cup, the latter having sets of cooling. finsextendi-ng outwardlytherefrom except at points underneath said arms, means establishing adriving connection between said yoke member and said clutch cup,saidmeans being arranged: so as to hold said yokea nd clutch cup inpositionone relative to the other so that said arms pass between saidsets of cooling fins, and means urging said friction elements intocontact with one another.

3. A slip clutch comprising an inner conical member having an outerroughened surface, a

substantially conical lining of friction material substantiallyencirclingsaid surface, an outer cup member embracing said conicalmember and having an inner conical surface appreciably smoother thansaid outer roughened surface on the inner conical member and disposed incontact with the outer face of said friction lining, said lining beingheld against movement relative-to theinn'er member only by the roughnessof the outer surface of said inner casting member,v and cooling vanes onsaid outer member.

4. A clip clutch comprising an inner member having an outer roughenedsurface, a lining of friction material substantially encircling saidroughened surface, an outer. member embracing said inner member andhaving an inner surface smoother than said roughened surface on theinnor clutch member and disposed: in contact with the outer face of saidfriction lining,..said lining being held against movement relative tothe. inner member only by virtue" of the outer surface of said innermember being rougher than. the inner surface of said outer member, andcooling vanes on said outer member.

5. A slip clutch for connecting two shafts or the like, comprising apair of friction'elements, including an inner clutch. element fixedtoone end of one shaft and an outer clutch: element embracing said innerclutch element and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a yoke member havingan apertured hubportion embracing said one shaft at one side of saidouter clutch element, said yoke member having arms embracing said innerand outer clutch elements, said arms being disposed relatively closelyadjacent said outer clutch element, the latter having a set of coolingvfins extending outwardly therefrom except at points underneath saidarms, means establishing a driving connection between said yoke memberand said outer clutch element, said means being arianged so as to holdsaid yoke and outer clutch element in position one relative to the otherso that said arms pass between said sets of cooling fins, and meansurging said friction elements into contact with one another.

AUSTIN E. YOUNG.

Number Name Date Holt Feb. 4, 1890 Hafelfinger May 5, 1908 Young Dec.11, 1945 Kelsey Oct. 14, 1947

